The carnival of discovery struts by the pale mists of dawn from le boot sale
to the seductive lights of showrooms echoing these phrases, a Babel’s tower of merchant antiquaries:
*
... this came from the chateaux !...
*
... This came in yesterday ! You’re the first client to lay eyes on it !...
*
... This is totally original, that encrustation is authentic attic dust !...
*
What’s this dad ?
That’s a coffee grinder.
Used for what ?
For grinding coffee beans to dust my son ...
*
... Say will you look at this… I think my Gran had the same set !...
*
... We used it to light the fire back in ’96 ... and that’s what it would be worth now !...
*
Madam I appreciate the offer, but it barely covers the cost of the frame !...
*
Oh go on then !!! I’ll make no money but at least there’ll be room on the shelf for new stock....
*

The bargaining trade:
a crossroads where serendipity meets with good humor or mischievous spite and bravado with discretion.
So the love affair between peoples is rocked to-and-fro through objects of desire.